Josette du Pres
Encyclopedia
Josette du Pres was a character played primarily by Kathryn Leigh Scott
during the 1795 flashback on the cult TV serial Dark Shadows
.
), the lovely and sympathetic Josette came to Collinsport, Maine in 1795 to marry Barnabas Collins
(Jonathan Frid
).
Though Barnabas had become engaged to Josette following an earlier visit to Martinique, he had there enjoyed a brief dalliance with his fiancée's personal maid, Angélique Bouchard (Lara Parker
), who was secretly a witch. When Angélique arrived in Collinsport, she immediately invited Barnabas to rekindle their relationship. However, Barnabas rejected her, declaring that he had always loved Josette but had been unsure of Josette's love for him in Martinique.
Furious with jealousy, Angélique first tried to kill Barnabas and then hexed Josette, so that she fell in love with Barnabas's young uncle, Jeremiah Collins
(Anthony George
), and he with her. Jeremiah and Josette eloped and were married; this incited Jeremiah and Barnabas to duel, ending in Jeremiah's death. Still under the witch's spell, Josette disavowed her previous love for Barnabas, exclaiming that she would always love Jeremiah.
Grief-stricken, Josette readied herself to leave Collinsport with Natalie. Once bitten by Barnabas, Josette prepared to become his bride, though she clearly did not understand that Barnabas was now a vampire. Angélique caused Josette to have grotesque visions of herself as a vampire. Realizing at last what Barnabas was asking of her, and horrified and inconsolate, Josette committed suicide by jumping off the precipice at Widow's Hill.
(David Henesy
).
In a later storyline, the ghost of Quentin Collins
(David Selby
) killed David and drove the Collins family out of their mansion. Barnabas traveled back in time to 1897 to prevent these events by changing history. During this storyline, he falls in love with Lady Kitty Hampshire, who resembles Josette. When Barnabas learned that Lady Kitty actually is Josette, they are transported back in time to the night Josette committed suicide. Barnabas managed to prevent Josette from jumping off of Widow's Hill. Unfortunately, Barnabas was soon captured by the Leviathans. Josette became disconsolate at Barnabas' disappearance and committed suicide by drinking poison.
Josette re-appeared in the 1840 parallel time storyline. In this alternate reality, Barnabas never became a vampire and married Josette. Barnabas had died but Josette was still alive as an elderly widow. Her son Bramwell was the protagonist dealing with a curse placed upon the family by their ancestor Brutus Collins.
released by Big Finish Productions
.
Kathryn Leigh Scott
Kathryn Leigh Scott is an American television and film actress who is best remembered for playing Maggie Evans, Josette DuPres Collins, Rachel Drummond, Lady Kitty Soames Hampshire, and Maggie Evans PT on Dark Shadows.-Early life:Scott was born Marlene Kringstad in Robbinsdale, Minnesota in 1943...
during the 1795 flashback on the cult TV serial Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
.
Josette and Barnabas
Born in 1774 in France, her widowed father was Andre du Pres (David Ford) a wealthy sugarcane planter on the Caribbean island of Martinique. Raised by her father and her paternal aunt, the countess Natalie du Pres (Grayson HallGrayson Hall
Grayson Hall was an American television, film and stage actress. She was widely regarded for her avant garde theatrical performances in the 1960s-80s. Hall was nominated in 1964 for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the John Huston film The Night of the Iguana...
), the lovely and sympathetic Josette came to Collinsport, Maine in 1795 to marry Barnabas Collins
Barnabas Collins
Barnabas Collins is a fictional character, one of the feature characters in the ABC daytime serial Dark Shadows, which aired from 1966 to 1971. Originally played by Canadian actor Jonathan Frid, Barnabas Collins is a 200-year-old vampire who is in search of fresh blood and his lost love, Josette...
(Jonathan Frid
Jonathan Frid
John Herbert Frid is a theater, television, and film actor, best known for playing the role of vampire Barnabas Collins on the gothic television soap opera Dark Shadows.-Early Life:...
).
Though Barnabas had become engaged to Josette following an earlier visit to Martinique, he had there enjoyed a brief dalliance with his fiancée's personal maid, Angélique Bouchard (Lara Parker
Lara Parker
Lara Parker is an American television, stage, and film actress best known for her role as Angelique on the cult ABC-TV serial Dark Shadows which aired from to...
), who was secretly a witch. When Angélique arrived in Collinsport, she immediately invited Barnabas to rekindle their relationship. However, Barnabas rejected her, declaring that he had always loved Josette but had been unsure of Josette's love for him in Martinique.
Furious with jealousy, Angélique first tried to kill Barnabas and then hexed Josette, so that she fell in love with Barnabas's young uncle, Jeremiah Collins
Jeremiah Collins
Jeremiah Collins was played primarily by Anthony George during the 1795 flashback on the ABC-TV cult television gothic horror soap opera serial Dark Shadows.-Story:...
(Anthony George
Anthony George
Anthony George was an American actor mostly seen on television. He is best known for roles of Don Corley in Checkmate, Burke Devlin and Jeremiah Collins on Dark Shadows, and Dr. Will Vernon on One Life to Live....
), and he with her. Jeremiah and Josette eloped and were married; this incited Jeremiah and Barnabas to duel, ending in Jeremiah's death. Still under the witch's spell, Josette disavowed her previous love for Barnabas, exclaiming that she would always love Jeremiah.
The Tragedy of Josette
Through a series of machinations, Angelique tricked the broken-hearted Barnabas to marry her. But once he discovered his new wife was a witch, Barnabas shot Angélique, planning to reunite with a now more receptive Josette. Believing herself to be dying, the witch cursed Barnabas, he died shortly after and rose as a vampire. His first act as a creature of the night was to strangle Angélique.Grief-stricken, Josette readied herself to leave Collinsport with Natalie. Once bitten by Barnabas, Josette prepared to become his bride, though she clearly did not understand that Barnabas was now a vampire. Angélique caused Josette to have grotesque visions of herself as a vampire. Realizing at last what Barnabas was asking of her, and horrified and inconsolate, Josette committed suicide by jumping off the precipice at Widow's Hill.
The Strange Lives of Josette
Barnabas Collins summoned the fetch of his lost love to his side not long after her death. But the now disfigured dead Josette begged him to be allowed to return to her grave. Horrified, the vampire allowed her to go to her rest. But the spirit of Josette was not yet at peace. Over the years, she was said to haunt the Old House. Often, her ghost was said to warn Collins family members of impending death or other misfortune. During the early days of the series, the ghost of Josette, dressed in white, sometimes appeared to young David CollinsDavid Collins (Dark Shadows)
David Collins was a fictional character, the son of Roger Collins, on the television serial Dark Shadows, played by David Henesy. In the 1990 made-for-television movie and 1991 revival series, David Collins was played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. In the 2004 WB Pilot for Dark Shadows, he was played by...
(David Henesy
David Henesy
David Henesy Raised in New York City, Henesy was a child actor in film, television, and Broadway. He appeared in "Oliver!", "Jenny" , and daytime television series Dark Shadows in the roles of David Collins, Daniel Collins, Jamison Collins, and Tad Collins...
).
In a later storyline, the ghost of Quentin Collins
Quentin Collins
Quentin Collins is the name of several characters featured in the 1966-1971 ABC cult TV Gothic horror-soap opera Dark Shadows. All variations of the character have been played by actor David Selby.-Quentin I:...
(David Selby
David Selby
David Lynn Selby is an American character and stage actor. He has worked in movies, soap operas and television. The naturally black-headed Selby is best known for playing the roles of Quentin Collins on the ABC-TV serial, Dark Shadows , and as the evil and compassionate...
) killed David and drove the Collins family out of their mansion. Barnabas traveled back in time to 1897 to prevent these events by changing history. During this storyline, he falls in love with Lady Kitty Hampshire, who resembles Josette. When Barnabas learned that Lady Kitty actually is Josette, they are transported back in time to the night Josette committed suicide. Barnabas managed to prevent Josette from jumping off of Widow's Hill. Unfortunately, Barnabas was soon captured by the Leviathans. Josette became disconsolate at Barnabas' disappearance and committed suicide by drinking poison.
Josette re-appeared in the 1840 parallel time storyline. In this alternate reality, Barnabas never became a vampire and married Josette. Barnabas had died but Josette was still alive as an elderly widow. Her son Bramwell was the protagonist dealing with a curse placed upon the family by their ancestor Brutus Collins.
Other appearances
The character then returned in the 2009 audio drama Final JudgementFinal Judgement (Dark Shadows)
Dark Shadows: Final Judgement is a Big Finish Productions original dramatic reading based on the long-running American horror soap opera series Dark Shadows.-Cast:*Angelique Bouchard Collins - Lara Parker*Josette du Pres - Kathryn Leigh Scott...
released by Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
.
Further reading
- The Dark Shadows Companion: 25th Anniversary Collection, edited by Kathryn Leigh Scott, foreword by Jonathan Frid, Pomegranate Press, 1990. ISBN 0-938817-25-6